Teaching
Teaching Experience
BSc courses:
"Ageing in animals - evolutionary and ecological considerations", lecture and project within Animal Evolutionary Ecology (BSc specialisation module) - 2019-2024
"Phylogenetics I & II" lectures within Bioinformatics 2 (BSc second year module) - 2023-2024
MSc courses:
Programming for Data Science - since 2025
Research module: I have devised and supervised several research projects within our MSc research modules Evolutionary Genomics and Biological Data Analysis (WS & SS) - 2016-2024
Biocomputing 1: Python for beginners (advanced module; WS) - 2017-2024
Biocomputing 2: Python for advanced students (advanced module; WS) - 2017-2024
"Introduction to Genomics and Transcriptomics", lecture and practicals within Computational analysis of transcriptomes and proteomes (advanced module; SS) - 2020-2024
"Evolution of caste-specific expression", project within Integrated Biology (advanced module; WS) - 2021-2024
"Molecular evolution and selection", lecture and practicals within Molecular Phylogenetics (advanced module; WS) - 2021-2024
"Comparative Genomics", lecture within Concepts and Current Topics in Evolutionary Biology (advanced module; WS) - 2022-2024
Supervised BSc theses:
"Influence of Sociality and Selection on Blattodean Genomes." August 2019
"How sociality shapes Blattodean genomes." December 2022
"Investigating the molecular footprints of eusociality with machine learning." August 2023
Supervised MSc theses:
"Predicting maximum lifespan in rodents with machine learning." 2025
"Dynamics of Gene Families Implicated in the Evolution of Termite Eusociality." July 2017
"Annotation and Analysis of Ionotropic Receptors in Blattodea." June 2019
"The role of selection in the emergence of caste-biased genes in termites." October 2022
Supervised PhD students:
Fatemeh Akhlaghi - "Molecular signatures of healthy ageing in long-lived rodents" (MIBTP), September 2025
Alina Mikhailova - "Genomic innovations underlying the evolution of termite sociality" (DFG project ), since October 2020
Sarah Rinke - "Evolutionary genomics of sociality in beetles" (Within DFG SPP GEvol), since November 2022
My Teaching Concept
My goal is to maximise learning by providing enjoyment and engagement in my courses, while also generating appreciation for the importance of sound research practice. By employing research-oriented and student-centred teaching, I create a rich learning environment that promotes a deep understanding of evolutionary biology, genomics and bioinformatics, while ensuring students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills. I offer evolutionary genomics and bioinformatics for everyone, by encouraging all students to come to us and learn molecular evolution, evolutionary genomics and bioinformatics. I make these subjects accessible to anyone by offering entry to our courses at any level. We provide support materials and introductory texts in advance. Transferable skills to other areas of biology: specific skills acquired in my courses are transferable to other areas of biology that students are interested in. The bioinformatics skills learned in my courses will complement their future work in their own field of biology.
Open Student Projects
Available as BSc thesis, MSc thesis or research module
Evolutionary genomics of lifespan variation in mammals
Decoding the evolution of transcriptional architecture underlying eusociality in termites with machine learning